Two bands from Eau Claire, Wisconsin played what felt more like a local show at
the Varsity Theater on Friday night, as both S. Carey and the Daredevil
Christopher Wright were met with warm, receptive crowds that helped
embolden both groups to take chances with their intricate, deeply
affecting songs. Both bands seemed comfortable and relaxed on a stage
still slightly decorated for Christmas, which allowed them (and the
crowd) to lose themselves completely in songs both new and old, as well
as a few choice covers that rounded out the night exquisitely.

This
was a rare show for the Daredevil Christopher Wright, who are currently
in the midst of recording a follow up to 2009's stirring In Deference To A Broken Back. And
they took the occasion to debut plenty of new material alongside their
older gems during their generous 50-minute set. After gently getting
their set going with their eponymous track from Back, the three-piece couldn't wait to give us all a prodigious glimpse as to what their new album is going to sound like.

The
new numbers are mostly harmony driven songs, driven by Jesse
Edgington's inventive percussion, and the vocals of both Jon and Jason
Sunde, who traded off lead throughout the set. And, after classics like
"The East Coast" and "Acceptable Loss" (which featured a lengthy
electric guitar intro from Jon) went over really well, the band grew
more boldly experimental with their sound and the performance seemed to
provide a fun, cathartic release for them. And, based on the lush,
indelible nature of their new songs, it hopefully won't be too long
until we hear from these guys again.

Sean Carey brought a
five-piece backing band with him on this evening, which gave his
already rich, elegant songs a full, vivid sound. Led by Aaron
Hodenstrom on clarinet (and other woodwinds), Nick Ball on guitar, and
fellow Bon Iver member Mike Noyce, who also bounced around on a few
different instruments throughout the set, these songs simply swelled in
the live setting, enveloping all of us who ardently gave ourselves up
to the stirring strains Carey and his crew were crafting. The set
basically followed the order of Carey's wonderful debut, All We Grow,
with Carey gently plucking the delicate melody of "Move" on acoustic
guitar, before switching to keyboard for a dynamically propulsive,
glorious rendition of "We Fell" that simply floored me with its beauty.

After
a gorgeous version of "In The Dirt," Carey mentioned that he always
gets a little nervous playing after Daredevil Christopher Wright
because they're so tight. But it was obvious he was amongst friends on
this evening, which allowed him and the rest of his band to fully lose
themselves in the majesty of "Mothers," another clear standout of the
55-minute set, which flowed seemlessly into the tense,
percussion-driven instrumental "Action," featuring Carey leading the
way on drums.

For songs that have such a slight, diaphanous
sound on record, these tracks clearly flourish live, thanks to the
stellar and talented musicians Carey assembled, as well as the
underlying strength of the source material. The songs all simmer a bit
tentatively before erupting in a grand spiral of sound, with all of the
instruments blending superbly amid Carey's subtle orchestration.

Having only one album to his credit, Carey turned to a couple of well-chosen
covers to fill out the remainder of their set, delivering a gorgeous
take on David Bazan's "Lost My Shape" shortly before the one-song
encore, which was a spirited and surprising rendition of the Notwist's
"Consequence" which closed out the night strongly. I don't know what
exactly is in the water in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that continues to
produce such riveting, inventive music, but I am quite happy that Twin
Cities audiences have taken to these talented artists so
affectionately, because it means they will always keep coming back.